QUANTITATIVE-DETERMINATION OF CIRCULATING ANODIC AND CATHODIC ANTIGENS IN SERUM AND URINE OF INDIVIDUALS INFECTED WITH SCHISTOSOMA-INTERCALATUM

Circulating anodic and cathodic Schistosoma antigens (CAA and CCA) hav e been determined by enzyme immunoassays in serum and urine of 60 indi viduals infected with S. intercalatum in Equatorial Guinea. The median egg output was 29 eggs/g of faeces (range 3-840). The egg output stro ngly correlated with concentrations of serum CAA (p=0.47) and urine CA A (p=0.42) (P<0.001 for both); the later 2 quantities were also correl ated with each other (p=0-44, P<0.001). All except 3 infected individu als had detectable amounts of serum CAA and/or urine CCA, a sensitivit y of 95% for these 2 tests combined. Urine CAA was detected in 43% of patients. Serum CCA was detected in all infected individuals; however, no significant correlation was obtained between serum CCA levels and egg output in the stools of individual patients. This is the first stu dy to demonstrate CCA in specimens of patients infected with S. interc alatum. The detection of CCA in urine is a new, non-invasive diagnosti c method for S. intercalatum infection.